Yusara Askari, Author at The Singapore Post

22Dec

By Yusara AskariNo Comments

HOW VIETNAM CAN COUNTER CHINA

Last week, Vietnam held its first ever global defence exhibition in an effort to diversify its arms suppliers and move away from Russia. The exhibition provided a chance for allies like the United States and India to strengthen their military ties with Hanoi in addition to providing a message to China about Vietnam's seriousness about upgrading and diversifying its armed forces.What role does this expo play in Vietnam's overall security plan? While preserving positive ties with China is a priority for the nation in order to prevent unwarranted confrontations, it is also searching for ways to lessen the short- and long-term detrimental effects of China's aggressive actions. Vietnam will counterbalance China until it becomes clear that doing so would be detrimental. The exhibition unquestio...

Reality check for Nepal as China turns back on BRI promises

6Apr

By Yusara AskariNo Comments

Reality check for Nepal as China turns back on BRI promises

With hopes to tide over development and connectivity problems hindering its goal of becoming a middle income country by 2030, Nepal had signed up for China led Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2017. However, an absence of on-ground progress after passage of five years indicates the futility of relying on Chinese promises. The superfluous promises included improving institutional capacity of the Himalayan nation to enable its transition from being a land-locked to ‘land-linked’ one. Falling for the assurances, Nepal even risked its historic relations with India for Chinese assistance in various fields. However, after five years, the promises are falling apart one by one. Moreover, Beijing's sole interest in advancing hefty loans to Nepal is becoming clearer due to ever increasing Chin

UKRAINE INVASION HAS REVIVED THE MEMORIES OF CHINESE OCCUPATION OF TIBET – SAYS INTERNATIONAL JURIST

3Apr

By Yusara AskariNo Comments

UKRAINE INVASION HAS REVIVED THE MEMORIES OF CHINESE OCCUPATION OF TIBET – SAYS INTERNATIONAL JURIST

“We should soon expect the world to stand firmly behind occupied countries like Tibet, East Turkistan and South Mongolia which China has colonized over past many decades” : predicts Prof. Michael Van Walt “An interesting outcome of the events in Ukraine today is that it has helped the world community to revive its memory about how a big nation like China used its brutal force to occupy weaker neighboring nations like Tibet, East Turkistan and South Mongolia by imposing its own interpretation of history and law. The arguments being forwarded by President Putin of Russia today and the manner in which Russian Army has invaded Ukraine have too many similarities to ignore how China occupied Tibet in 1950-1951 era”, says Prof. Michael Van Walt Van Praag, a renowned

Pak Foreign Minister Angers Saudis, Again

4Jan

By Yusara AskariNo Comments

Pak Foreign Minister Angers Saudis, Again

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has angered the Saudi Arabians, yet again, by the way he hosted a recent meeting on December 28, 2021 with Saudi envoy. It underscores a given that demeanour and even sitting position can impact diplomacy. Receiving Ambassador Nawaf bin Said al-Malki, in Islamabad, Qureshi can be seen sitting with one leg crossed and the other pointing in Al-Malki's direction. This was deemed offensive by many Saudis who think Qureshi ‘insulted’ their envoy, The New Arab reported (December 30, 2021). Many Saudis took to social media to express their disapproval of the Pakistani FM's seating position stating his demeanour was 'the height of foolishness and ignorance'. "Pakistani foreign minister receives Saudi ambassador in Pakistan with unmatche

Xi Jinping’s Leadership Challenges for the CCP’s stability

2Oct

By Yusara AskariNo Comments

Xi Jinping’s Leadership Challenges for the CCP’s stability

In his opinion Glenn Tiffert, a historian at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University brought forth Xi Jinping’s feared that the CCP might eventually disintegrate like Soviet Communists and “this seems to be a problem that he paid special attention to from the beginning.” Xi Jinping, therefore, wanted to avoid the path of destruction of the Communist Party of Soviet Union and this manifested in his tightening of his grip over the Party. In November 2019, the BBC Chinese website published an article stated that “China under Xi Jinping may embark on the old path of Brezhnev, former General Secretary of the CPSU.” It is believed that after Brezhnev came to power, Khrushchev’s reforms and liberalisation commitments ended, and the state’s centralised control was strengthened. This is s

Elephant in the room: African countries cancel China-led projects

20Sep

By Yusara AskariNo Comments

Elephant in the room: African countries cancel China-led projects

China is increasingly finding itself being cornered by African countries on investment-related matters with some of them cancelling contracts with Chinese companies as their “shoddy” work has become a source of tension for the ruling dispensations in several nations across the continent. After Ghana cancelled the contract of Beijing Everyway Traffic and Lighting Tech Co Ltd, which was to develop an intelligent traffic management system for the country, President of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Felix Tshisekedi has called for a review of mining contracts previously signed with China in 2008. The DRC President said he wants to get fairer deals for his country. Unhappy with China’s exploitative tendency, he said, “Those with whom his country signed contracts are getting richer wh

‘Blue Dot’ an alternative to China’s BRI

11Jun

By Yusara AskariNo Comments

‘Blue Dot’ an alternative to China’s BRI

New York, US: In order to have an alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, US President Joe Biden, along with the Japanese and Australian governments, are reviving the ‘Blue Dot Network’ infrastructure initiative. The Blue Dot Network was first announced during former President Donald Trump’s administration, and kicked off talks among stakeholders in Paris on Monday after a prolonged period of inactivity, reported Nikkei Asia. The initiative, which would certify projects meeting such standards as transparency and sustainability, is meant to galvanise the private sector to invest in infrastructure development in emerging markets. “The Blue Dot Network will be a globally recognized symbol of market-driven, transparent and sustainable infrastructure projects,” the Blue Dot N

Chinese activist who reviled human rights condition in country, put behind the bars.

9Jun

By Yusara AskariNo Comments

Chinese activist who reviled human rights condition in country, put behind the bars.

Beijing, China: Wang Aizhong, a Chinese veteran activist was arrested last month for writing his mind out on twitter. He wrote about the condition of human rights in the country. Whereas he was accused under charges of ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’. The veteran activist helped found the Southern Street Movement in Guangzhou 10 years ago, calling for an end to one-party rule, reported South China Morning Post. He has been active on social media, commenting on human rights abuses in China. His online activities brought him attention from the police, who warned him to stay home early last month when he was invited to attend a dinner with a group of private businesspeople in the neighbouring city of Zhongshan. Despite complying with the order, the police raided the dinner

Taiwan Strait: Chinese plane again entered in Taiwan’s air defence zone

7Jun

By Yusara AskariNo Comments

Taiwan Strait: Chinese plane again entered in Taiwan’s air defence zone

Tapei, Taiwan: Chinese warplane entered Taiwan's air defence identification zone. These intrusions are increasing the tension amid the two countries.A single People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Shaanxi Y-8 electronic warfare plane flew into the southwest corner of Taiwan's ADIZ on Thursday morning, according to the Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense (MND). It was the first intrusion of this month.A total of 29 Chinese planes were tracked in the identification zone in May, including 25 slow-flying turboprops, two fighter bombers, and two fighter jets, Taiwan News reported.Since mid-September of last year, Beijing has stepped up its gray-zone tactics by regularly sending planes into Taiwan's ADIZ, with most instances occurring in the southwest corner of the zone and usually consi...

Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy to be imprisoned with 9 others

31May

By Yusara AskariNo Comments

Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy to be imprisoned with 9 others

Hong Kong: Hong Kong pro-democracy leaders were sentenced to jail over violation of National Security Law even after China’s crackdown.Media tycoon Jimmy Lai who pleaded guilty to one crime of organising unapproved assembly, was sentenced to 14 months in prison. Nine others are sentenced between 14-36 months in prison by Hong Kong District Court on Friday, reported Dimsum Daily.Together with other prison terms served concurrently, Jimmy Lai will serve a total of 20 months in prison and there are still multiple charges pending against him; he may be looking at longer prison terms, reported Dimsum Daily.Figo Chan, Lee Cheuk-yan, Leung Kwok-hung and Albert Ho who pleaded guilty to one crime of organising unauthorised assembly and one crime of inciting others to participate in unauthorised as